Lost 15 miles from home — impossible?

July 30th, 2010 Posted in DIARY, The Other Side Of Me

Has anybody else got lost only 15 miles from home? I did last weekend. All because of these silly diversion signs that lead you nowhere or suddenly disappear from the route you were diverted to.  Road closed – I followed diversion expecting it to be just round a block of houses but then there were no more signs. After five miles and by now into an unfamiliar part of the Yorkshire Wolds, I was lost – well I knew the general direction I wanted to be so kept on going. Sign posts indicated villages I had never heard of  but eventually a familiar name came up and some kind person had put it on every signpost thereafter. If he or she hadn’t, Hi, that raises an interesting question – who paints the names on signposts? Well if he or she hadn’t I might have been still motoring round the Yorkshire Wolds. No I couldn’t — I’d have run out of petrol by now. Never saw a petrol station. Once upon a time in the distance past there were petrol stations in most villages; now you have to find Tesco or Asda or something similar and they don’t exist in our country lanes – thank goodness.  Ah well enough of that – I had a lovely ride through country I had never been in ( only 15 miles from home) and I lived to tell the tale as is evidenced by this ‘ere blog. 

  1. 5 Responses to “Lost 15 miles from home — impossible?”

  2. By Shirley Wells on Jul 31, 2010

    The same thing happened to me but, instead of being in the lovely Yorkshire Wolds, I was in the centre of Rochdale. They’d closed the main thoroughfare and I didn’t have a clue where I was. All good fun. I’m sure they enjoy putting up diversion signs that take you nowhere.

    It’s sad to think of all the village petrol stations that have fallen by the wayside. I suppose that’s our fault – instead of having a nice cheery person to fill the car for us, we’d rather save a couple of pence a litre.

  3. By Bill on Aug 1, 2010

    Pleased to find I’m in good company over diversion signs and glad I wasn’t in the centre of a town, Shirley.

    Cheery petrol attendants – I will always remember one in particular — years ago, with a young family, we were travelling to Inverness and beyond. We had chosen to go via Balmoral and from there ‘over the top’ to Granton-on-Spey. Some miles out of Balmoral we climbed into low cloud and at that point i remembered I should have got petrol. Doubtful if I had enough to reach Granton! I also doubted if I’d find any in the remote country that faced us. Anxious! Anxious! Then out of the mist loomed a building and a petrol pump! (The old fashioned type with a big handle to wind to get petrol) But no sign of anyone. I had just about given up hope when a door opened; a big rosey cheeked young woman, possibly early twenties appeared, a broad smile, dazzling eyes and a cheery ‘Good morning, sir, petrol?’
    ‘Oh, yes please, am I glad to see you.’ She unlocked the pump and said, ‘Give it a turn, I’ll be with you in a moment.’ My very first attempt self-service!! It came to almost nothing. There must have been a knack in turning that handle because when she reappeared we had a joke about my effort. She took over and as if it was the easiest thing in the world my tank was filled in no time! A smiling face, a cheery, ‘Goodbye, enjoy your holiday.’ sent us happily on our way.

  4. By Judith Gilbert on Aug 2, 2010

    Yes, I have got lost by diversion signs. In a town it is a nightmare. My scariest (is that a proper word?)was when I got lost in a pea-souper of a fog in Halifax. I was getting back to my flat late at night and went down a road that I thought should lead me to the right place; it did, but I could not see two inches in front of me and became totally disorientated. What should have been an eight minute journey took much longer because I kept turning in the wrong direction. Horrible.
    By the way the best place I have ever broken down in my car was outside a sweet factory! While I waited for back-up I could have as many chocolates as I liked because it was the night shift! Can anyone beat that?

  5. By bill on Aug 2, 2010

    Judith– How many chocolates did you eat? Do you like plain or milk best?

  6. By Judith Gilbert on Aug 5, 2010

    I didn’t eat too many actually. It was a factory, alas now closed, in Halifax. The men there took me under their wing. I had a few Kit Kats to bring home. I was a bit too concerned as it was late at night and I had to get up in the morning. They had got one of their mates out to look at the car and he said I wasn’t going anywhere else in it that night! They called National Breakdown who eventually came and the boys at the factory made me promise to ring them when I got home. They didn’t like the idea of me taken home by a stranger! It was Yorkshire hospitality at its best.
    As to plain or milk? It depends on the
    situation. If I am having a piece of chocolate on its own, I prefer Plain, but, if I am having it with a cup of tea ( I don’t drink coffee) I prefer Milk.
    I’m not sure about this chilli chocolate etc, though it might be ok to cook with.

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